D-O-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N
If the Niners-Bears MNF “contest” was the first NFL game you
watched all year, you’d think the Niners and Bears were on opposite ends of the
football spectrum. Holy cow did the
Bears look horrible. I don’t care if Jay
Cutler was playing or not. That bad ass
defense just got shit stomped by a Niners team that was reeling the last couple
of games. The Niners did literally
everything they wanted to do on both sides of the football for 60 minutes. That was a disgusting football game to watch,
but wow, what a dominant effort by the Niners.
(in-game comments) I was a Colin Kaepernick fan when he came
in ’11 (had him rated higher than Cam Newton in my draft rankings for the next
level), but I’m flabbergasted with what he’s doing right now to the Chicago
Bears. This is a backup QB getting his
first start in the NFL, doing it against the Chicago defense, and he’s absolutely
destroying them. Kaepernick is doing
anything and everything he wants at this point – 11 of 13 for 181 yards and a
TD late in the first half. As I
mentioned in a comment,
how often do you see a team expand its playbook when the backup gets into the
game? Hell of a job young man!
He has a LONG way to go as an NFL QB, but I see a bit of
Aaron Rodgers in Ryan Tannehill. The
rookie has made more than his share of mistakes on the football field this
season, but his ability to throw on the run reminds me of the MVP. Tannehill does a nice job of making plays
outside the pocket and has appreciable game awareness. I’d like to see the coaching staff take the
reigns off him a bit as I think we’d see a more natural performance from the
rookie. I really think he just needs
more reps at the position at this level.
Once he’s comfortable you’ll see more of his natural athleticism shine
through. I really like his upside.
GO BUCS!!! These guys
are playing some football. I don’t know
if they’re going to be a serious contender this season, and I honestly don’t
care. What I see is a football team that
is giving 100% effort week in week out, and I love it. They’re playing inspired, team football. They’ve got a huge home game against the
Falcons this week with a chance to win their fifth straight game for the first
time since early in the ’02 Super Bowl season.
Vincent Jackson has been everything the Bucs hoped he’d be, and rookies
Doug Martin and Lavonte David are already establishing themselves as fixtures
and leaders of their respective sides of the football. Buccaneer football games are finally fun to
watch again.
You’ve got to appreciate how a team like the Falcons can
keep winning games they look certain to lose.
What’s disturbing is that these are home games against teams that won’t sniff
the playoffs – Carolina , Oakland ,
and Arizona . This stuff won’t fly in the postseason,
especially since it’s their QB making the big mistakes. The playoffs are a time for elite QB play and
dominant defensive play. Atlanta ’s defense is far
from top notch, which means it’s highly unlikely the Falcons could survive a
craptastic game from the Mattural in the postseason.
I know I’m a closet Packers fan, but I really love where
they’re trending right now. They’re not
too hot, but they’re winning football games.
They have a host of top tier talent recovering from injuries – Jennings , Matthews,
Woodson, Benson. The win in Detroit wasn’t pretty,
but they spent a lot of time trying to establish a running game. Great teams can win games like that. Jermichael Finley has a pulse, and watch out
if they get a SNF win at the Giants.
They’ll be 8-3* (Seattle screwjob) with
remaining games against Minnesota (twice), Detroit , Chicago , and Tennessee . It’s
not where you are in November but where you are in January that matters. I love their outlook.
The Texans just got a wake up call courtesy of the
Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Lions may end up bearing the brunt of that
one. Pushed deep into OT against the 1-9
Jaguars, the Texans needed a huge day from Matt Schaub to get a victory that
looked like a foregone conclusion before they kicked things off in Houston . You’ve got to think you’ll see a focused
Texans team Thanksgiving Thursday in Detroit . If things weren’t already awful in Detroit , having dropped
to 0-4 in the division with that loss to the Packers, now they get to face a
bunch of pissed off Texans. They’ve also
already benched Titus Young for that game due to his continued amateur
behavior. Not a lot of joy in Detroit right now.
I am, of course, most thankful for family, friends and living in a nation where we have a secular constitution that makes no mention of a deity. Besides those big ticket items, I do appreciate the efforts of the gentleman that authors this blog, who has provided me with hours of interesting reading and great back and forth. HTD Talbuc!
ReplyDeleteTPE
I know what you're thinking by now. "Is it really neccessary for TPE to comment on everything I write, even over a holiday weekend?" Well, as Lane Mills once famously said...post good stuff and 'THAT'S WHEN YOU'LL FIND OUT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION!!'
ReplyDelete“ I was a Colin Kaepernick fan when he came in ’11 (had him rated higher than Cam Newton in my draft rankings for the next level), but I’m flabbergasted with what he’s doing right now to the Chicago Bears. This is a backup QB getting his first start in the NFL, doing it against the Chicago defense, and he’s absolutely destroying them”
Apparently, Mr. Kaepernick should have had a lot more fans. I wasn’t too sure about how he would translate to the big show after watching him at Nevada, but at least for one game, he proved he could light up a decent, albeit overrated, defense. I was chatting with a radio host in San Francisco yesterday, and he brought up what Harbaugh v2.0 should do now in this situation. I said he should play whoever gives him the best chance to win the SuperBowl: not a game, the SUPERBOWL. And what of Alex Smith’s psyche? I responded ‘WHO CARES!!’ Suppose Harbaugh says ‘I was never a believer in Alex Smith. I didn’t draft him, and he’s repeatedly demonstrated himself to be an average player. Colin is our guy now”. You know what would happen if Kaepernick when down and Smith had to play? He would play his ass off and do his best to win because he’s making millions as a professional football player and he’s a young man of high character.
“He has a LONG way to go as an NFL QB, but I see a bit of Aaron Rodgers in Ryan Tannehill… I really like his upside. “
Wow, that’s quite an assessment. However, it’s worth noting that nobody thought Aaron Rodgers was going to be the Aaron Rodgers that is in my opinion the best football player in the NFL.
“GO BUCS!!! These guys are playing some football. I don’t know if they’re going to be a serious contender this season, and I honestly don’t care. “
Over the years, we old timers have often watched good teams erase two score deficits in a couple of minutes, oftentimes against Tampa. It was really, REALLY great for once…damn near literally for once…to see the Bucs do it, even against a bad Panthers squad. And how about those second team guards?
“You’ve got to appreciate how a team like the Falcons can keep winning games they look certain to lose. What’s disturbing is that these are home games against teams that won’t sniff the playoffs …”
They’re the only team with two legitimate #1 one receivers on the field (however, when/if Jennings becomes healthy and Cobb emerging, GB will soon be able to make a like claim). That’s what is allowing them to quickly get out of trouble. I’ll be interested to see what they can do against an at best mediocre pass defense Sunday with Julio Jones out for the Falcons and Eric Wright out for the Bucs.
“I know I’m a closet Packers fan, but I really love where they’re trending right now. They’re not too hot, but they’re winning football games.”
ReplyDeleteFor a team with a player like AR, a slew of early to midseason injuries can be a blessing in disguise. He’s good enough to…let me try that again…he’s so #$!!*@*&! great that he keeps them in the playoff hunt by showing up to play every week. Players filling in for starters now get really valuable and meaningful game minutes, Finley becomes a bigger part of the plan, he starts to re-earns AR’s trust, and the starters come back healthy at the right time of the year. You can bet by week 16 they’ll have their protection issues improved and could very well be trotting out Jennings, Cobb, Driver and Nelson when they go four wide with Benson in the backfield. Yikes.
“Cincinnati has a good chance of leapfrogging the Steelers in the AFC North with the way they’re playing football right now. They have winnable games against Oakland, San Diego, Dallas, and Philadelphia…”
I hadn’t looked at their upcoming schedule. Interesting conjecture, but put me down as a doubter. I think Andy Dalton is a pretty good player, but he’s going to have to show me a breakout four game or so stretch for me to buy into the Bengals. I would love to have a couple of their interior guys on the Bucs though.
“The Texans just got a wake up call courtesy of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Lions may end up bearing the brunt of that one.”
I’m not convinced the Texans were the better team on the field at 4:45 p.m. Thanksgiving day. They did, however, have the very real advantage of playing one of the two very talented teams in the NFC that can be counted on to find some ways to lose as opposed to getting whipped by their opponent. Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2012 Detroit Lions!
Having dubbed myself with a Culture AI ship name, I thought I would give a few NFL teams their own. Now, this is probably an absurd thing to do for a variety of reasons, not the least of which YOU DON’T READ THE NOVELS, but what the hell, you’re a really bright guy, you’ll be down with the gestalt!
Dolphins: The Soft Knocks
Colts: The Anticipated Linear…Got Exponential
Jaguars: The That’s a lot of Mularkey!
and, of course, the
Eagles: Vick, Who Has Herpes!
“I am, of course, most thankful for family, friends and living in a nation where we have a secular constitution that makes no mention of a deity. Besides those big ticket items, I do appreciate the efforts of the gentleman that authors this blog, who has provided me with hours of interesting reading and great back and forth. HTD Talbuc!”
ReplyDeleteAnd I absolutely appreciate the time you spend reading and replying to my rants. My primary purpose of this blog is to note what I’m thinking about various things for my son to look back on when he gets a bit older; see how crazy his dad was about sports. I didn’t start this thing with thoughts of getting a ton of hits and comments. If that was the case, I would have started something on Bleacher Report when I was asked to. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and this has become the ideal outlet for me to do so.
I know what you're thinking by now. "Is it really neccessary for TPE to comment on everything I write, even over a holiday weekend?" Well, as Lane Mills once famously said...post good stuff and 'THAT'S WHEN YOU'LL FIND OUT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION!!'
Thank you friend! I always appreciate intelligent conversation and look forward to reading your thoughts.
“Apparently, Mr. Kaepernick should have had a lot more fans. I wasn’t too sure about how he would translate to the big show after watching him at Nevada, but at least for one game, he proved he could light up a decent, albeit overrated, defense. I was chatting with a radio host in San Francisco yesterday, and he brought up what Harbaugh v2.0 should do now in this situation. I said he should play whoever gives him the best chance to win the SuperBowl: not a game, the SUPERBOWL. And what of Alex Smith’s psyche? I responded ‘WHO CARES!!’ Suppose Harbaugh says ‘I was never a believer in Alex Smith. I didn’t draft him, and he’s repeatedly demonstrated himself to be an average player. Colin is our guy now”. You know what would happen if Kaepernick when down and Smith had to play? He would play his ass off and do his best to win because he’s making millions as a professional football player and he’s a young man of high character.”
Excellent take. You play whoever gives you the best chance to be the best you can. Kaepernick is a tremendous athlete who is adjusting scarily seamlessly to the professional game. It’s almost like the game is in slow motion for him already. That’s how Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees operate offensively. Scary stuff from a first timer. I don’t expect an outpouring of organizational loyalty from the Niners towards Smith. Hell, they were set to let him sign with the Dolphins this offseason. The only reason he’s still a Niner is because Miami declined pulling the trigger. This is now Kaepernick’s team, and the Niners just got a lot scarier.
“Wow, that’s quite an assessment. However, it’s worth noting that nobody thought Aaron Rodgers was going to be the Aaron Rodgers that is in my opinion the best football player in the NFL.
Aaron Rodgers is far and away my favorite player in all of football. I did a top five a while back (I believe in reply to one of your comments), and Rodgers joined Adrian Peterson, Patrick Peterson, Ray Rice, and Calvin Johnson were a part of that group. I wouldn’t change my top five, but Doug Martin and LeSean McCoy would be just outside that group. I don’t think Tannehill is going to join that club any time soon, but with QB being the most important position on the field, you want to maximize the skill set of the guy manning the spot. Tannehill is a plus athlete with a good head on his shoulders. I think he just needs some positive professional experience to start turning heads. Don’t be surprised if he’s mentioned ahead of Luck and RGIII a couple of years down the road.
“Over the years, we old timers have often watched good teams erase two score deficits in a couple of minutes, oftentimes against Tampa. It was really, REALLY great for once…damn near literally for once…to see the Bucs do it, even against a bad Panthers squad. And how about those second team guards?”
ReplyDeleteI write this after the loss to the Falcons, but I’m still high on this squad. They are operating as a system for the first time in a long time. They took the team with the league’s best record the distance today and were a 56 yard FG away from forcing Atlanta to score late to win. They’ve shown they can hang with anyone, and I expect to see another big effort next week at Denver.
“They’re the only team with two legitimate #1 one receivers on the field (however, when/if Jennings becomes healthy and Cobb emerging, GB will soon be able to make a like claim). That’s what is allowing them to quickly get out of trouble. I’ll be interested to see what they can do against an at best mediocre pass defense Sunday with Julio Jones out for the Falcons and Eric Wright out for the Bucs.”
That’s why I’ve been saying watch out for the Packers. When Jennings gets back, they’ll have him, Nelson, and Cobb in a lethal set of receivers. Add in the under-utilized, under-performing Jermichael Finley, and this is an unstoppable group on paper. The Falcons showed why they are among the NFL’s best Sunday at Tampa. They once again picked up a phase of their attack. Matt Bryant missed a couple of important field goals, but the defense held Tampa Bay in check. I don’t think they’re the league’s best or even second best team, but they just keep winning football games.
“For a team with a player like AR, a slew of early to midseason injuries can be a blessing in disguise. He’s good enough to…let me try that again…he’s so #$!!*@*&! great that he keeps them in the playoff hunt by showing up to play every week. Players filling in for starters now get really valuable and meaningful game minutes, Finley becomes a bigger part of the plan, he starts to re-earns AR’s trust, and the starters come back healthy at the right time of the year. You can bet by week 16 they’ll have their protection issues improved and could very well be trotting out Jennings, Cobb, Driver and Nelson when they go four wide with Benson in the backfield. Yikes.”
You’re never out of the game with Aaron Rodgers under center. Classifying “elite” QBs has become the new trend, but each and every conversation has to start with that guy. He can make every throw quicker, faster, and under more pressure than any other guy in the league. He’s the game’s best passer on the move by quite a large margin. It’s not even close. When he takes off with the football, you know he’s going to pick up a first down. To steal from Dan Patrick – You can’t stop him. You can only hope to contain him. They’re on top of the division entering today, and if they can pull off the upset tonight (as I think they will), they’re going to be on a huge roll heading into the home stretch. Again, I love where they’re at right now.
“I hadn’t looked at their upcoming schedule. Interesting conjecture, but put me down as a doubter. I think Andy Dalton is a pretty good player, but he’s going to have to show me a breakout four game or so stretch for me to buy into the Bengals. I would love to have a couple of their interior guys on the Bucs though.”
You’re not wrong in wanting some of that up front beef. These guys are getting things done at the point of attack. With Cincinnati winning and Pittsburgh losing today, they are tied in the win column, but Pittsburgh has the tiebreaker by winning the first matchup. Neither team has a soft schedule down the road, but the longer Roethlisberger is sidelined, the better chance Cincinnati has of staying ahead in the division. Mohamed Sanu is stepping up well as a #2 receiver, and the defense is taking care of business. I don’t think they’re a serious AFC threat just yet, but they’re doing what’s needed in November.
“I’m not convinced the Texans were the better team on the field at 4:45 p.m. Thanksgiving day. They did, however, have the very real advantage of playing one of the two very talented teams in the NFC that can be counted on to find some ways to lose as opposed to getting whipped by their opponent. Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2012 Detroit Lions!”
ReplyDeleteI’ve still got the Texans as the class of the AFC, but I’m looking out for the Patriots if they can get something together on defense. They won’t be able to count on back-to-back turnovers and crappy opposing QB play every week. I think the Texans are a tired team. They should be able to sleepwalk through a win at Tennessee next week, but watch out for the remaining games - @NE, v.IND, v.MIN, and @IND. Don’t be surprised if they sustain a sizeable loss at New England and become second fiddle in the conference at that point. The Lions are done, and at this point, if I’m running the Lions, I’m looking for a new head coach. I don’t think this undisciplined team is going to get any sharper for a long stretch under Jim Schwartz. That’s an attractive job, one I’d like to see someone like Chip Kelly take a long look at. Matt Stafford isn’t a running QB, but I’d like to see how this offense does running the quick tempo as their primary set.
“Having dubbed myself with a Culture AI ship name, I thought I would give a few NFL teams their own. Now, this is probably an absurd thing to do for a variety of reasons, not the least of which YOU DON’T READ THE NOVELS, but what the hell, you’re a really bright guy, you’ll be down with the gestalt!
Dolphins: The Soft Knocks
Colts: The Anticipated Linear…Got Exponential
Jaguars: The That’s a lot of Mularkey!
and, of course, the
Eagles: Vick, Who Has Herpes!”
Love those monikers! Here are a couple of my attempts –
Niners – The You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yets
Chiefs – The Wake Me Up When The Season Ends (nod to Green Day)
Jets – We Blow, Won’t Turn To Tebow, Get Used To It